Balance Sheet Template

Some describe the balance sheet as a "snapshot" of the company's financial position at a point (a moment or an instant) in time. For example, the amounts reported on a balance sheet dated December 31, 2012 reflect that instant when all the transactions through December 31 have been recorded. It summarizes the company's assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity at a specific point in time. The three balance sheet segments in the Excel file below give investors an idea as to what the company owns and owes, as well as the amount invested by the shareholders. This is intended to be a simple and practical tool to be adjusted and used by SMEs working in all sectors. You may adapt it to reflect your business needs, type of clientele, products and services you offer. It provides the minimum information required by financial institutions for assessing loan applications, tax authorities and potential investors.

Although the template is an example of a balance sheet for a sole proprietorship, you can quickly modify it for a corporation or partnership. You can add or delete account titles, revise the format, or otherwise modify it to suit your needs.

File Description: The file contains a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet template. Once you've downloaded the file, you must copy it to your EXCEL\XLSTART directory in order to use it.

Special Features:

Download this balance sheet template just once, and be able to use it over and over again.

The spreadsheet contains the essential items that need to be considered when preparing a balance sheet.

The spreadsheet can be completely customized - you can quickly add or delete items or revise the format to meet your needs.

The spreadsheet is easy to use. Just plug in your numbers and it will automatically compute all the subtotals and totals and even tell you if your balance sheet doesn't balance.

Access to these accounting forms is priceless! I don't use an accounting program, and don't have a lot of financial results to report. The templates are most helpful for an entrepreneur/solopreneur operating a small professional service business.